Do Child Labor Regulations Help or Hurt

Note

Some options in articulating the issues that workers face in the Global South is to point out the rising inequality between the Global North and the Global South. Many nations in the Global South have not participated in globalization and as a result the gulf between them and the developed world has widened. The governments of the Global North should be more inclusive in terms of doing business with and trading with the Global South so as to promote equality. These views could be presented to governments and employers through grassroots activist groups and by supporting companies that engage with the Global South so as to give them a better economic opportunity. Corporate social responsibility programs should be developed to help the Global South gain a foothold in the global marketplace. Consumers have the power to demand this of all companies. If companies don’t want to support laborers in the Global South, consumers can boycott their products.

Response 1

Going to the press with stories about inequalities in the Global South could help, but the press is often controlled by the same powerful groups that operate within the realm of big finance and the corporate world. So a better solution might simply be for consumers to boycott companies that facilitate this oppression. Consumers have more power than they realize in most cases. Hit the companies in the pocketbook and they will listen.

Response 2

Communication is always key to the advancement of any agenda. In this case, I would say that consumers can do a lot to advance their aims by refusing to buy the products of companies that fail to help the Global South. Boycotting does have an effect. And it would get the attention of companies that focus on developing corporate social responsibility programs.